The regional park system has grown from just over 8400 hectares in 2000 to over 13,000 hectares in 2017. This growing park system helps protect the environment and biodiversity in the region, and provides residents with opportunities to connect with nature through outdoor recreation. Visitation to regional parks and trails has also grown, from 5.2 million in 2010 to 7.3 million in 2017, an increase of 40%.
Parks Operating Budget
In 2018, the CRD has allocated a budget of approximately $13.4 million for the Regional Parks Service to protect natural environments and continue to offer safe and high quality outdoor recreation experiences to park visitors. Of this amount, approximately $1.1 million is dedicated to develop and improve infrastructure within regional parks and trails. These funds, when possible, are supplemented by grants and contributions from other levels of government, which have averaged approximately $1.7 million over the last 10 years. The overall budget includes the Land Acquisition Fund, a separate property tax dedicated to the acquisition of land for regional parks and trails, which generates approximately $3.7 million yearly.
Challenges
Increased visitation to parks and trails results in more impacts on facilities and the environment. Some major facilities also need to be repaired or replaced in the near future to ensure the safety and enjoyment of park visitors. For example, the repairs to the Todd Creek Trestle that are occurring in 2018 are expected to cost $1.2 million. Additionally, with the possible acquisition of more parkland through the Land Acquisition Fund in the near future, more costs for managing regional parks and trails are expected. If we are to protect park environments and continue to offer quality outdoor recreation experiences in an expanding park system, choices need to be made about how to allocate funds.
Public Opinion Survey
In 2018, the CRD ran an online public opinion survey for 14 weeks to obtain preliminary information on the public’s views regarding the future of the fund. The survey showed 89% of participants were in favour of extending the Land Acquisition Fund for another 10 years, which is consistent with previous household surveys. 77% of respondents supported using the fund to buy parkland, even if facilities for public use might not be developed for many years. A survey report offers an in-depth analysis of the opinions and suggestions received from self-selected survey participants.
Next Steps
The CRD Board has identified important next steps for the Regional Parks Land Acquisition Fund that will guide priorities for regional parks and trails over the next ten years. The Board extended the Land Acquisition Fund for another ten years from 2019-2029 and maintained the rate of $20 per average residential household. The CRD’s budget for 2020 includes an additional $925,000 to fund the refurbishment and replacement of existing regional park assets such as bridges, trestles, buildings and other infrastructure.
On June 24, 2020 the Land Acquisition Strategy 2020-21 was approved. This will help inform land acquisitions moving forward.
Regional Parks Landscape Evaluation Project
The CRD has undertaken a project to identify areas with high natural values that represent the diversity of landscapes in the region and have the potential for connecting with existing parks and protected areas. The CRD engaged with First Nations, government agencies, stakeholders, and the public to share our landscape mapping and evaluation. We learned more about the natural values on this landscape and opportunities to incorporate local knowledge, and public values and interest in to the analysis.
The workshops and survey for feedback ended in January 2019. We thank everyone who provided input. The feedback from meeting, workshops, and the website survey will help us to refine our models and incorporate any new data or information that comes to light. The CRD will use this to identify new land acquisition priorities.